Christian emil bichel



MANUFACTURE OF EXPLOSIVES.

CHRISTIAN EMIL BIGHEL, OF BERLIN, GERMANY;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376.849, dated January 24', 1888.

Application tiled November 26, 1886. Serial No. 219,8f22. (No specimens.) Patented in England December 17, 1885, No. 15,528.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN EMIL BIcEEL, a subject of the King of Prussia, rei siding-at Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, in the Empire of Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture 1 of Explosive Substances, (for which Ihave obtained Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 1 15,528, dated December 17,1885,) of which the 5 following is a specification.

-} Proceeding'from the ascertained fact that l resin-oils, and other hydrocarbons to be here- 1 inafter more particularly referred to, are cagpable when heated of taking up a certain l quantity of sulphur, which, after cooling, will Ebe partly or entirely retainedithereby, and also from the observation thatthe sulphureted Ehydrocarbons mix readily and durably with j. nitrous'compoundssuch as those hereinafter gmore particularly designated,,and that the ont'ainedf sulphur causes the explosihil ity of ithe'inixture'by meansof the deto'nating-fuses gusuallyfemployed in the case of blasting-ex- I plosives,notwithstanding that the mixture is unsusceptible to the eflect of impulses which 5 in other cases cause the explosion of the com- ,pounds employed,and that the quantity of hydrocarbon employed in combination with gnitrous compounds explosive in themselves 5 would nevertheless destroy their explosibility, {I have made use of these means for the pro 1 dnction of cheap and harmless explosives,

bility to the effect 'of blows .or shocks 1111' particular resinandlinsee gil oil 0mm Ipreierred, as well as distillates o e. a ter whose boiling-points range between 120 and 200, (Celsius) and the distillates of naphtha fboilin g at over 250. The constituents of'co'ab' tar which boil at less than 120 arealtogether lexcluded, because the melting-point of sulgphur is 114, and it appearsdesirable for this 1 process to bring the sulphur to the melting Epoint before the hydrocarbon is convertedinto vapor.

In carrying out the process on one occasion one hundred parts,by weight,of resin-oil were boiled in a retort provided with a condenser, together with twenty-eight parts,by weight,of 7pnlverized sulphur, until the sulphur was comwhich are distinguished by especial suscepti pletely melted andthe resin oil, at first; of A brightyellow color, had become brown. On another occasion the same quantities were, heated in an iron retort provided with an ascen- 5 5 sion-pipe that, declining gradually and suit ably,.terminated inja cooled, receiver,.also of iron, the heating being maintained until the entire fluid mass was distilled over. 2N0 inconvenience worth mentioning wasexperi 6o enced in this operation. "Thesame manipulak Y tion with a tar-oil. the boiling-point of whichtime, a darkcolored fproduct of somewhat-'- nal tar-oil. The preference was gi distilling process over that ofh'ii tort with backflow-condenser, becauset e pro duct becomes cooled on the way to the receiver, and no sulphur-crystals are formed therein even when morefsul-phuris used in'tliemixtu re than the oil is capable'of taking gupz- These hydrocarbons thus impregnated with sulphur exhibit the peculiarity thatthey'miirreadily with all nitrous compounds, while in the case of the products of distillation not sulphureted, even when they appear tornix, asnbsequent separation takesflplalce, which renders theproduction of a like producfimpossible; These- .sulphureted .hydrocarbonsinay now be mixed directly withijoxygen conipounds, such; trousan'dchiorici'saltseseve"'jforgeightip rte for examplf, of nitrate'of soda (in-potash 7 manent oxygen carrying niaterialsuc asth nitrate of sodalorgpotash+anitrous c 7 not injitself:explosivei as fortexani le a a 1 nitrosx- 161 hitroig u'm'ol' I or ntroo I 'lQ Thusnf' I -"prepare a mixture composed of one part'of sulphureted tar-oil,-

0.5 part,by weight, ofnitro-cumol, and nine, i to ten parts,by weight, of nitrate of soda,I shall obtain ablastingcompound'of much greater 1 effect than the previous one, and whichvwill 5 have the special advantage of .a safe and cheap 100 method of production, and also of a lifting or heaving efiectrather than a scattering act-ion.

was between 120 'nd 200 gave,aftfr, a short},

The compound'is employed in the form of plastic cartridges with detonating'caps. Further, the sulphureted hydrocarbons are especially suitable for admixture with nitrous compounds explosive in themselves-as, for

example nitro apiline, nitrol cerine, nitrotrole m-which are ordlnarily made up into Ee g e orm of cartridges, withthe addition of an inert porous aterial, such as l;ieselgp l i (fossil-meal.) f ten parts, by weijglifi'for example, 0f nitr glycerine are mixed with three parts, by weig t, of sulphureted resin-oil; and

by the admixture therewith of kieselguhr (fosunsulphureted hydrocarbons are employed,) is rendered extraordinarily unsuscepti ble to concussions, and consequently diminishes considerably the dangers attendant on the manufac ture and subsequent employment of the material.

VVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The method of making explosives which consists in distilling sulphur and ahydrocarbon inthe presence of one another and adding to the resultant body awygen-bearingsub: stance, substantially as described.

2. The method of making explosives which consistsin distilling sulphur and a hydrocarbon in the presence of one another and adding to the resultant body p itn ate of potash or equivalent oxygen-beariug substance, substantially as described. V

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification in the presence of two snb scribing witnesses.

CHRISTIAN EHIL BICHEL.

'" Witnesses:

B. Roi,

E. REITZ. 

